7 injured in Bluffton crashes

February 17, 2013

BLUFFTON — A pair of crashes along a snowy Interstate 75 near Bluffton sent several people to area hospitals Saturday evening.

Sgt. Timothy Grigsby, of the Lima post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said the first crash happened around 4:39 p.m. when Jessie Little, 38, of Fostoria, was driving south on the interstate near mile post 141 when heavy snow created near white-out conditions. Little lost control of his 1994 Isuzu sport utility vehicle, which overturned several times and struck a guardrail.

Rescue crews from the Bluffton Fire and EMS had to extract Little, his wife, Julie Little, 25, and their three children, Jessie Little Jr., 8, John Little, 3, and Ashley Little, 5. The three children were taken to Lima Memorial Health System for treatment of minor injuries, Grigsby said. All of the children were secured in the vehicle by safety restraint devices.

Jessie Little and Julie Little were taken to Lima Memorial Health System for treatment of severe, non-life-threatening injuries, Grigsby said. Neither was wearing a seat belt, he said.

As crews were attending to the first crash, a second crash occurred just up the interstate. Trooper Tara Barnhart said around 5:30 p.m. as traffic was slowing down and backing up from the first crash, Barbara Kline, 43, of Delphos crashed her 2011 Dodge Charger into the rear of a charter bus that was slowing down because of the traffic.

Kline and her 11-year-old daughter, Paige, were taken to Bluffton Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Barnhart said.